Miraculous: Tales of Angst, Humor, and Heartbreak
by Laura Earthrider Winged Wonder
Summary: A series of short one-shots of post-reveal adventures. Rated T for some violence.


A golden-orange glow was blanketed over all of Paris, and Cat Noir got a perfect view of it. Watching the sunset from his place up on Parisian rooftops wasn't exactly a priority for super heroes, but there wasn't anything major going on at the moment that required his attention. And sneaking out as his super hero self was the only way Cat Noir could get any free time outside tonight, anyway.

It would be better if he had company, though. Maybe he should try to get a hold of Ladybug. Or drop by Marinette's bakery, since that's probably where she'd be if there wasn't any crime going on. But she might not enjoy him dropping by while she was in her civilian form. She'd probably lecture him about the dangers of having their identities exposed. He'd heard that lecture more times than he could count. But maybe it'd be worth it if he got some company out of it.

A thump behind him knocked him out of his daydream. He turned, and saw his beloved right behind him.

"Well, hey, M'Lady. Didn't expect you to drop by," Cat Noir quipped, smirking.

"Well, I thought it'd be nice to get a view of Paris tonight, so I went out on patrol. Then I saw you. What's up, Kitty?"

"Not much. Just had to get away from my dad again," he sighed.

Ladybug nodded, then came up to sit beside him, "He any worse than usual?"

"No, just trying to keep me out of that 'dangerous world' and locked up safe, as always" Cat Noir replied, rolling his eyes.

"Heh, if he only knew..." Ladybug chuckled.

"Are you kidding? He'd never let me out of his sight again. Not that he pays me much attention anyway, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know," Ladybug answered, starting to look distracted, like something was bothering her beneath the surface.

"Something wrong, M'Lady?" Cat Noir asked, concerned.

"Oh, no, it's just..." Ladybug trailed off. Ever since she had found out about Cat Noir's true identity, they had been having a lot of long talks, trying to connect the dots. Cat Noir had recently had to explain why she saw her partner and Adrien Agreste in the same place at the same time when Adrien's bodyguard had been akumatized into Gorizilla. That hadn't been hard to explain, but she thought this next one might be harder. Not because of it being a long story, but because when she brought it up once before, Cat Noir seemed uncomfortable. She suspected that his discomfort wasn't just him trying to protect his identity.

"Go on, Bugaboo. You can tell me anything, you know?" Cat Noir quipped, using that annoying nickname he had for her.

"It's just- well, I was really wondering what happened that one time-"

"Go on."

"Well, remember that time I thought Santa was akumatized? I saw evidence that you and Adrien were in the same place at the same time. I know now that you're the same person, but I assumed you were protecting him- because you used your cataclysm. But if there wasn't an akuma, then why-"

"Oh. That," Cat Noir replied, avoiding her gaze. He had had to refrain from explaining the story to her when she first asked, but now she knew his real identity. There was no way to sidestep that question now without outright refusing to answer it.

"Look, I get it if you'd rather not talk about it, but if something's up-"

"No, no, M'Lady, you should probably know," Cat Noir answered, though deep down he really would prefer to keep it secret.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah," Cat Noir started, "It's something like this."

Ladybug moved a little closer to him as he started to tell the story, though she noticed he was still avoiding her eyes, refusing to even look at her.

"See, that Christmas... Well, you know how my mom disappeared? Well, that was my first Christmas without her. It was really upsetting. But I tried to keep the mood light best I could.

I was decorating the tree with Nathalie, but my father didn't come down to join us. I figured he was being his usual selfish jerk self, so I got angry, and went to my room. I couldn't stand being abandoned when I was already missing my mom, you know?"

Ladybug placed her hand on her partner's shoulder, but Cat Noir didn't react.

"The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I decided I hated Christmas. I transformed and left. I needed space more than ever. But the farther from home I got, the more I saw families together through windows. I saw you and your parents, too. It just upset me more and more. It got to the point where I couldn't bear the loneliness and abandonment any more!" Cat Noir had to stop, and he closed his eyes at the awful memories.

"Oh Kitty!" Ladybug cried, her own heart breaking.

Cat Noir let her hand sit on his shoulder for a bit, partly because her comfort felt nice, but also because he was dreading the next part of the story.

"But that doesn't explain the cataclysm..." Ladybug pointed out, pushing him to finish.

Cat Noir sighed, "M'Lady, I always said you could tell me anything. Can-can I have the same privilege?"

"Of course. We're a team. You can trust me with anything."

"Promise?"

"I promise, Kitty."

Cat Noir winced. Despite her words, he couldn't help worrying what she's think of him after he finished. She had always put so much emphasis on using their powers responsibly. How would she react if she knew he used it out of anger? But he didn't really have much choice but to tell her. He could only hope she understood, even if she didn't like what he had to say.

"W-well, it's like I said. I was hurting, and angry, and I lost control..."

"Kitty... Are you saying you used your cataclysm out of anger?"

"...Yes. I did," Cat Noir whimpered.

"Oh Kitty... It's nothing to be ashamed of- I mean, sure, you shouldn't have done it, but we all make mistakes."

"It's worse than that," Cat Noir added, "I wasn't originally aiming for the advertisement... I was aiming for the tree. If I hadn't suddenly remembered my mother, I would've destroyed that whole thing."

"You were hurting," Ladybug reminded him. She moved her hand to his opposite shoulder, hugging him with her arm.

"Really though, I was wrong-"

"Hey, you remember that time when Nino was akumatized? I used my lucky charm to break up the slow dance- because I was jealous of Chloe trying to make a move on you. Talk about being irresponsible with my powers..."

"I actually should thank you for that," Cat Noir replied, chuckling despite himself.

"See? It all worked out in the end. You're my partner, Cat Noir... My best friend, and more. Even though we've both messed up, I'd never leave you. You'd never leave me, would you?" Ladybug asked, smiling.

"Of course I wouldn't. Never!"

Ladybug nodded, "Kitty, there aren't any secrets between us. We know each other's identities now. Whenever things get hard, whenever you feel lonely, whenever you need me, I'm here for you. And I always will be. I promise you that."

Cat Noir finally looked his lady in the eye. He felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. More than that, he felt refreshed, invigorated. Ready to take on anything. At the same time, his voice was too shaky with emotion to manage more than a whisper as he replied, "Thank you, M'Lady." He relaxed for a moment, then added, "I wouldn't trade you for the world."

Ladybug leaned into him, and turned to the scenery before them. After a moment, Cat Noir leaned into her as well, enjoying the sensation of her presence, as they watched the activity of their city below them.

The sun had set, now nothing more than a sliver over the horizon, and the moon was rising behind them. As the moon cast a soft glow over their backs, Cat Noir purred.


End file.
